Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Cagers Face Niagara Saturday in Rochester
11/27/2003 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 27, 2003
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Bucknell dives even deeper into its difficult early season schedule Saturday evening when it faces perennial Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference power Niagara at Rochester's Blue Cross Arena. The contest will be the nightcap of a college basketball doubleheader, with Army and Cornell preceding at 5 p.m. Bucknell and Niagara also met at a neutral site last season, with the Purple Eagles taking a 63-52 decision in the Bucknell Basketball Kids Classic at Martz Hall in Pottsville, Pa. The Bison have performed very well against two tough opponents thus far in 2003-04, but they do not have a victory to show for it. On opening night Bucknell nearly stunned third-ranked Michigan State, leading in the final five minutes before the Spartans rallied for a 64-52 win. On Wednesday at Sojka Pavilion, the Bison scrambled back from a 14-point second-half deficit to take the lead against Ivy League power Yale, but the Bulldogs' Scott Gaffield hit a 3-pointer with 16 seconds left to propel the visitors to a 63-62 victory. Niagara, picked second in the MAAC preseason poll behind Manhattan, returns all five starters from last year's 17-12 squad. The Purple Eagles opened with an 89-80 victory over Youngstown State last Saturday.
scouting the bison
Despite an 0-2 record, Bucknell has gone toe-to-toe with preseason favorites from the Big Ten and Ivy League, and the Bison could just as easily be 2-0. Pat Flannery's teams have long been noted for their excellent defense, and this year's version also seems to fit that mold. So far the Bison have limited two high-powered opponents to 63.5 ppg, 42.5% field-goal shooting and 23.5% 3-point shooting.
last time out ... late trey foils bison comeback
Bucknell battled back from a 14-point halftime deficit to take the lead in the closing minutes, but Yale's Scott Gaffield spoiled the comeback bid when he nailed a game-winning 3-pointer with 16 seconds left, giving the Bulldogs a 63-62 win in a thrilling finish at Sojka Pavilion on Thanksgiving Eve (see boxscore, page 16). The Bison trailed 40-26 early in the second half and still trailed 51-40 with 11:30 to play before surging ahead with a 14-2 run. Charles Lee's tip-in off a missed free throw gave Bucknell a 62-59 lead with 44 seconds left, but Yale came up with two huge offensive rebounds of their own to set up the winning shot. Paul Vitelli rebounded a missed 3-pointer and got fouled, then made the first free throw but missed the second. Sam Kaplan snared the long rebound and two passes later Gaffield hit the game-winner from the left corner.
bison throw major scare into spartans
Kevin Bettencourt scored a career-high 21 points, but the Bison just missed what would have been its most impressive victory in school history as third-ranked Michigan State scrambled from behind for a 64-52 victory (see boxscore, page 15) on opening night in East Lansing. The Bison trailed by just one at the half (33-32) and took the lead on Bettencourt's fourth of five 3-pointers just over a minute into the second half. Back-to-back treys by Chris Niesz moments later gave the Herd a 43-39 lead, its largest of the night. The lead changed hands seven times in the second half, the last with 4:49 remaining on Shannon Brown's fastbreak layup. The Spartans scored the final 10 points of the game for a misleading final margin of 12 points. Michigan State was the highest-ranked team Bucknell had ever faced.
what might have been
While Bucknell's players and coaches certainly had to feel proud of the way they performed in front of more than 14,000 fans, going toe-to-toe with one of the nation's best teams in Michigan State, the Bison had to be kicking themselves over their struggles from the free-throw line. Bucknell made just 1 of 17 from the charity stripe in the contest. Wednesday against Yale, Bucknell made its first five free throws against Yale and finished 6-for-9 on the night.
bench help
Pat Flannery said before the season that he thought this could be one of his deepest Bison teams, and that has proven true thus far. Flannery has been able to go 11 deep in the first two games, and last time out against Yale the bench produced 33 points on stellar 14-for-19 shooting (.737). Leading the way were freshmen Donald Brown and Chris McNaughton, who both went 5-for-6 from the field and finished with 11 and 12 points, respectively. Just over 42% of Bucknell's points this season have come from the reserves.
the niagara series
Niagara has won 4 of 5 previous meetings with Bucknell, including a 63-52 victory last season in Pottsville, Pa. Bucknell's lone series win came on Jan. 17, 1983, a 67-48 decision in Davis Gym.
bucknell vs. niagara last year
David Brooks came off the bench to score 15 points, leading four Niagara players in double figures in the Purple Eagles 63-52 victory at the Bucknell Basketball Kids Classic at Martz Hall. Boakai Lalugba had 11 points and 16 rebounds to lead Bucknell. The Bison struggled against Niagara's 2-3 zone, shooting only 27.6% from the field (16-58). Niagara led by just one at halftime and the game was tied at 45 with 9:12 remaining, but the Purple Eagles took the lead for good on Alvin Cruz's 3-pointer. (For complete boxscore, see page 75 of the Bucknell Media Guide.)
